*' they hate the light, and will not come fairly to it, lest their deeds should be reproved." This is very observable in the con- duct of the Apostles, when our Lord touched upon their mutual contentions about worldly preference and distinction : they in- stantly shifted off the blame, by turning the discourse to another subject. A true picture this of the generality of men, not excepting those of whom better things might be hoped!]
3. They use all possible artifices to obtain a favour- able testimony from their own conscience —
[Many are not ashamed to justify what yet they know in their consciences to he wrong : "It was expedient : it was even necessary under existing circumstances : they were constrained to it, and could not do otherwise." It was in this way that Saul justified his impious intrusion into the priestly ofl[ice. He cast the blame on Samuel, for not coming so early as he had expected; and affirmed, that, however contrary to the divine law his con- duct had been, it was expedient, and necessary, and good; since the Philistines would otherwise have come upon him, before he had sought by proper offerings the protection of Heaven ''. But notwithstanding all his specious arguments, Samuel told him plainly, that he had " done foolishly," and grievously provoked the Lord to anger®.
If they proceed not in their self-vindication to this extent, yet they will excuse tohat they cannot justify. ' True, it was not altogether right; but they were compelled to do it; and the fault was rather in others than in them. It was done in haste, and without due consideration. It was a mistake ; or was done to prevent a greater evil ; or to answer some valuable end.' Here again we may see in the same unhappy monarch the evil we are speaking of. He had spared Agag, and the best of the flocks and herds, which he should have utterly destroyed : yet, when he saw Samuel, he boasted that " he had fulfilled the commandment of the Lord." But, on Samuel's inquiry into the reasons of the flocks and herds being spared, he excused himself by saying, that he had reserved them for sacrifices : and, when further reproved, he cast the blame on the joeople, asserting, that they had taken of the spoil without his consent or privity^.
When their conduct is too plainly reprehensible to admit of such replies, they will then pal/iate what they cannot excuse. Satan will never leave them at a loss for something whereby to extenuate their faults, and to silence the reproaches of a guilty conscience. ' It was not so bad as is represented : the intention was good : it was done only once, and that under circumstances that might well account for it.' But there is no end to the
= Luke ix. 46—49. ^ 1 Sam. xiii. 8—12.
® 1 Sam. xiii. 13, 14. f 1 Sam. xv. 13—21.
791.] MAN, AND god's, ESTIMATE OF MAN. ] G5
suggestions of self-love. There is not a man under heaven, except the broken-hearted penitent, that will acknowledge his faults in all their real maUgnitjj, and with all their attendant aggravations. All will cast some veil over their ways, to hide their deformity, and to make them appear " clean ;" and will put such a colour even on their basest actions, as to leave in them scarcely any criminality at all.]
But, whilst we thus varnish over our own ways, so as to make them clean in our own eyes, it is of infi- nite importance for us to know,
II. How God will form his estimate of them —
Certainly he will not judge as we do : he will scrutinize our actions more narrowly, and will weigh as in a balance every thing that pertains to them. He will weigh,
1. Our actions themselves —
[Every thing we do is put, as it were, into a balance, even " the balance of the sanctuary." God will examine with infalli- ble accuracy what the motives were, and the principles by which we were actuated ; for by these, and not by the mere external appearance, must the quality of our actions be determined. He will examine how much there was of love to his name : how much of gratitude to the Lord Jesus Christ ; how much of humility, of self-denial, of love to our fellow-creatures ; and how much of zeal for the honour and glory of our God. Pre- cisely according to the measure of these things will be his estimate of our actions : all else will be only as dross that is blended with the gold, and which the fire will consume.]